Stay Cool With Cool Shades

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These aren’t your typical patio umbrellas.

 

How about this Sun Flower 5-Sail Patio Umbrella? The sails gently sway in the
breeze, and are designed to look like an over-sized flowerpot.

 

 

 

 

Maybe you have a tight spot? Perfect for this space-saving Half-Canopy Patio
Umbrella.

This compact shade can stand flush against a wall or door with no attachment
required.

 

 

 
Do you need something contemporary? If the unique shape of this Flex 2 Post Cantilever Patio Umbrella is not enough to grab your attention, the dozens of Sunbrella color choices will.  

 

 Photo Credits: Allegro Classics/Brookstone

Tribute to Mom

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Our mother is the sweetest and
Most delicate of all.
She knows more of paradise
Than angels can recall.

She’s not only beautiful
But passionately young,
Playful as a kid, yet wise
As one who has lived long.

 
Her love is like the rush of life,
A bubbling, laughing spring
That runs through all like liquid light
And makes the mountains sing.
 
And makes the meadows turn to flower
And trees to choicest fruit.
She is at once the field and bower
In which our hearts take root.
 
She is at once the sea and shore,
Our freedom and our past.
With her we launch our daring ships,
Yet keep the things that last.

Klismos Chairs

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When we first saw Suzanne Swift’s blog about designs with staying power with her example of Breuer’s Wassily chair, we immediately thought of many other classic designs which have been around for centuries. One of these is the light and elegant Klismos chair.

Although Greek furniture has not generally survived, we have a good idea of the appearance of the Klismos chair because it was frequently pictured on Greek vases and sculpture and sometimes described in Greek literature. The Klismos wood side chair was the most graceful, the most characteristic, and the most influential piece of Greek furniture. The Klismos chair was characterized by its four curved, splayed legs and curved back rails with a narrow concave backrest between them. This chair, which was purely a Greek invention, was perfected by the 5th century B.C. and was popular through the 4th century, and it was clearly a design that would last. Echoes of the Klismos appeared centuries later in chairs of the Directoire, Empire, Regency, and Duncan Phyfe styles, as well as in modern chairs being manufactured today.

 

 

This Klismos chair, based on vase paintings, is one of a group made in the 1960s by Greek manufacturer Saridis for U.S. furniture designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings. With its walnut frame and leather thong seat, it is a faithful copy of the Greek antiquity—and highly prized among collectors. At auction, a pair can sell for $10,000 to $15,000.

 

 

 

This contemporary version of the Klismos form by Donghia combines a bentwood back and seat with ribbony steel legs, and sells for about $1,800. It was designed by John Hutton for Dongia in 1989 and is now marketed as the Anziano chair. This modern chair is feather-light and allows for easy stacking.

 

 

 

 

And, today, one can purchase this updated Gustav Metal Chair through Bernhardt. Heather Eidenmiller, director of brand development, says that “modern design is built upon an idea of lineage, a connection with tradition and history, while striving for newness, originality, technical innovation, and an ultimate message of the present and the future.”  This bright and playful Klismos chair definitely fits the bill.

 

 

Photo Credits – House Beautiful; Bernhardt Furniture

Brass Is Back

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Yes, brass is back, and I’ve gone wild with it in a recent total house renovation.  I started with the client’s existing coffee table which is a glass top rectangle sporting antique brass legs with brass tassels….so retro regency.  I then added gorgeous lamps to the neutral mix, neutral sisal wall-to-wall carpeting and then had all of the upholstery recovered in a variety of neutrals in solids and prints.  Custom throw pillows come with pops of orange, turquoise and cream Ikat linen.

 

The lamps are the finishing touches and the jewelry, so to speak.  I added a small coral and crystal console lamp, and then the bold, yet subtle brass lamps.  I’ve seen brass jumping forward slowly, and now the design community (I for one) have embraced this style, but with some restraint.  I prefer a soft finish instead of a “in your face yellow” brass finish. There’s something very timeless about it, too.

 

 
Some of the lamps and finishes I’ve selected are shown for your enjoyment!

 Photo credits:  horchow.com

 

 

Own a Color and Help Save a Child’s Life

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Sponsored by Glidden Paints and Unicef

The  average computer or smartphone can display 16.7 million colors. With over 16.7 million colors to choose from, for a $2 donation you can choose and own a color, and name the color.

Unicef is offering the public the chance to name a color for a donation.

There is a “find a color option” if you are not sure what to choose. Your color can be shared across social networks, and it will help spread the word. All monies raised go toward protecting children’s rights around the world. UNICEF is the world’s leading organization protecting the rights of children and young people.

OwnAColour@OwnAColour

We’re selling 16.7 million colours for at least £1 to raise money for the children’s charity UNICEF. Take part at:

 

 

A Personal Reflection on Photography

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As a child I grew up in a home with a darkroom. I remember spending time with my Dad watching magic happen, as trays of developing solution transformed blank paper into vivid pictures before my eyes. To this day, Dad always has a camera in his hand.

 

I carry this love of photography with me, and even though I am certainly an amateur, once in a while there’s that photo that just grabs your attention. Maybe it’s a reminder of a special moment, or a place in time.

Time to get out the photo album and reminisce, right?

Better yet, why not pull out those favorite shots, buy some photo paper for your printer, and use these personal reflections as wall art?

 

 

 
Black and white photographs can look stunning on a colorful wall. Group them into interesting displays using similar frames, and/or subject material.

 

 

 
Whether it reminds you of that special vacation, or most importantly that special someone, surround yourself with things you love.

 

 

How to Decorate Your Exterior Rooms

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An outdoor deck or porch is an extension of the interior of your home. Decorating your porch requires using the same principals. When starting this project, begin with an outdoor rug. They’ve come a long way in recent years, and mimic any fine interior rug. You can choose a UV resistant stripe, or pattern, and many combinations thereof.

Many retailers now carry exterior rugs in a variety of shapes, styles, patterns and colors.  There are so many to choose from that narrowing down the selection is often a daunting task.  But, just pick a color that coordinates with your house’s architecture, and then move on to selecting your furniture.  You can put together a beautiful exterior room by adding throw pillows in Sunbrella® fabrics and a gorgeous outdoor rug made from recycled water bottles.   Add a festive market umbrella and it’s a complete room.

Some of my favorite outdoor rugs come from Frontgate, Horchow, Home Decorators and Target.  Often, the larger area rugs can cost upwards to $800, but consider the savings when you can take the garden hose to the rug.  They last for many years, and are a wonderful investment into your outdoor living rooms.

Credit:  Horchow collection

Toile

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Thibault Designs

 

The term “Toile de Jouy” (often simplified to just “toile”) originated in France in the late 18th century.  In French, it literally means “cloth from Jouy-en-Josas,” a town in the north central part of the country.

Toile is a type of decorating pattern which generally consists of a white or off-white background with a repeated pattern of a fairly complex pastoral scene or floral arrangement. Monochromatic in nature, the pattern portion usually consists of a single color, most often black, dark red, or blue. However, multicolored or toiles in other colorways can be found.

Since 1760 when Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf first opened his textile factory in Jouy-en-Josas, toile fabrics have been continuously produced although their popularity has waxed and waned. During the colonial era in the United States, toiles were very popular and were again repopularized in the 1920s and 1930s when Americans fell in love with anything in the Colonial Revival Style. Toiles have since been highly associated with preservationist towns and historical areas such as Williamsburg. In the twenties, firms such as Brunschwig and Fils began specializing in French designs  and since the eighties, modern design firms have had opportunities to recreate “document” designs, truly historic fabrics including toiles.

Blue and White Reproduction Toile Fabric - Winterthur - 1830

Toile is most often associated with chintz curtain and upholstery fabric, but toile wallpapers are also available. Fabrics also come in vintage linen and even in jacquard woven upholstery weights. Using them lavishly on walls, in window treatments, upholstered pieces, and bedding can add a designer flair to your fabric mix.  Since 2000, there has been another marked upsurge in popularity.  According to Katie Knowles, the archivist for Kravet, Inc.,  “toile is the epitome of French provincial fashion today. Today’s toiles are a blend of past and present, and an excellent reminder that good design is forever.”

 

 

Your Rooms and Flat Panel Television Guidelines

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There are some guidelines to follow when making decisions about television placement in a room. Following these will give you optimal viewing of the screen as well as enjoying the show from a relaxed position.

 

 

Viewing: TV should be eye level when viewing as seated, higher or lower causes neck strain.
Lighting:  Natural light needs to be blocked out with shades or draperies to minimize window reflection.
Distance:  To be seated two times the relative screen size is a good distance rule…..for a 42″ TV, sit 7 feet away.
Angles:  The best is to view straight on. If there is a corner install of TV, make the angle adjustable on a moveable mount.
Above the mantel:  This is a winner spot, but it is not optimal for viewing any length of time.

 

Source – Traditional Home

Succulent Gardens

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Succulents get their name from their ability to store nourishing materials, like water, in their leaves, stems and roots. Many come from dry areas of the tropics. The best-known succulents are cacti. Since these plants store water, they give off a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants.

 

Caring for succulents is particularly easy. Succulents love light, and they flourish in a variety of temperatures, but because they retain water, there’s no need for frequent watering.

 

 

 

Instead of framing a picture, how about a vertical living garden?  Use cuttings of assorted succulents to create a unique and colorful display. These plants come in many shapes and a myriad of colors, so your options are endless.

 

 

 

Photo Credits: Ecocentric/The Green Stylist